Challenge of developing Skilled Workforce
Despite phenomenal growth in higher education institutions, both in private and public sector, the industries still complain that they do not get the skilled workforce that they desire to meet their changing needs. On the other hand a large number of graduates and post graduates are not getting jobs. The prime reason of this gap is that the universities are not preparing what the industries need. They are just producing graduates and not the skilled work force. There are many reasons behind this gap. The biggest one is the severe shortage of faculty members in the departments, and second is the impractical and outdated curriculum. In central universities alone about 40 per cent seats in different faculties are lying vacant for long. Not only this, 35 per cent faculty positions are vacant in prestigious Government higher education institutes like IIM, IIT, NIT, which are managed by the Union Ministry of HRD. However, the UGC has suggested to have experts from different fields as faculty members, no matter they do not have any degree. Will this suggestion prove to be a remedy to the ailing Indian education sector? An analysis:

l Anuj Agarwal & P.K. Saini

The growing demand for higher education in India is part of the global trend with worldwide enrolment expected to rise from 100 million in 2000 to 260 million in 2025. Since the government institutions cannot meet the ever increasing demand, private institutions are being promoted as a viable way to ensure that students are offered this opportunity.
In Brazil, more than 75 per cent students go to private institutions and the largest higher education firm, Kroton, has over a million students. Similarly, developed countries such as Japan and Korea have over 70 per cent students enrolled in private universities, while developing countries such as Malaysia have over 50 per cent. China invested in top private universities through Project 985 to build a few world-class universities, but is struggling to provide education for students at the base of the pyramid. Recognising this gap, China has also enacted a Law for Facilitation of Private Education in 2002. This led to the number of higher education institutions doubling and enrolment increasing five-fold over the past decade.
In India, the situation may not be better at the moment but efforts are on, both at private and government level, to train the workforce, which can face the future challenges. In fact, this is the major challenge before all the educational institutions in the country. As the Indian economy is booming and GDP Growth is set to create history, almost 97 per cent companies are ready to offer jobs to graduates. In the coming days this requirement may further increase. The biggest challenge before the universities and the institutions of higher learning is to produce the skilled workforce and not just the graduates. Linking the universities and the institutions with the industries to impart practical knowledge can prove to be a wonder. This experiment has produced encouraging results in medical field, where the Dental colleges have compulsorily been linked with the dental hospitals. The same formula can be applied in the Business schools also. The overall objective of the educational institutions should be to produce the people who can play larger roles in the society.
Private universities in India are often treated with suspicion for providing poor quality education and being most focused on making money. While this may be true in some cases, they are playing a significant role in fulfilling country’s growing demand for quality higher education. Sixty per cent of college-going students in the country today are enrolled in private institutions. But how to produce skilled workforce and not merely graduates is the biggest challenge.
This is a fact that despite boom in the economy the industries today are disappointed because they are not getting the required skilled force. The companies feel that the Indian Universities are just preparing graduates not the skilled workforce they need. A recent survey conducted by Careerbuilder of India, a leading company of recruitment sector, has also indicated to this lacuna saying the Indian universities still focus on bookish knowledge rather than the practical know how. The survey was conducted in more than 400 companies. A total of 65 per cent companies claim that the Universities are preparing the students for a limited role only. Eight per cent companies claimed the students are not being prepared according to the changing needs of the industries.

Focus should be on practical not merely on theory
According to the survey, 60 per cent companies said the new employees are not able to resolve the problem. As far as skills are concerned, 56 per cent do not have creativity, 53 per cent lack in team work, 50 per cent do not have communication skills, 49 per cent lack leadership, 45 per cent do not have research skills and 39 per cent do not know management.
About the Universities the survey revealed that 68 per cent companies feel that the Universities focus more on theory than practical knowledge. 57 per cent feel that attention adequate is not paid to technical and soft skills. 47 per cent feel that students are not updated according to the changing technology. 34 per cent feel emphasis is not at internship and live training. 11 per cent feel that the degrees are not according to the needs of the industry.
The major sectors, which provide most of the jobs, include Finance and Accounting, Customer Service, Marketing, Information Technology and Business Development. The survey reveals that this year 65 per cent companies will recruit more staff. However, 12 per cent are planning to offer less salary than they paid during the previous financial year. About the skilled workforce, 94 per cent are ready to negotiate the salary.
However, this problem is not confined to just India, it is globally. The 10th annual survey conducted by Manpower Group says that 58 per cent employers in India do not get people as they desire. The shortage of talent was witnessed more in Accounting and Finance. During the survey, 13 per cent companies said they were not able to fulfill the demands of their clients due to lack of qualified workforce. However, the picture is better than the previous year. Last year 64 per cent companies had complaints. A total of 41,748 employers belonging to 42 countries were spoken during the survey. Apart from Accounting, Finance and IT, the companies are not getting desired persons for the posts of secretaries, receptionists, administrative assistants and office support. Releasing the Report, Manpower Group India Managing Director AG Rao said the demand index of IT and Accounting is growing. In coming days the companies would upgrade their technology, which will demand more work force. Teaching, engineering, communication and research sectors are expected to offer more jobs this year. Apart from it, sales managers, executives and legal posts will also be filed. If we look at globally the situation in Ireland, England and Spain is better. But the shortage is high in Japan (83 per cent), Peru (68 per cent), Hongkong (65 per cent), Brazil (61 per cent), Romania (61 per cent) and Greece (58 per cent).

Faculty Crunch
Undoubtedly, the students alone cannot be blamed for lack of talent. The universities, which are supposed to sharp their skills, do not have adequate teaching staff and infrastructure. According to reports, 40 per cent faculty seats in central universities are lying vacant. Out of total 16,339 posts of faculty members in 39 universities, 6,107 posts are lying vacant. These include 1273 posts of professors, 2793 posts of associate professors and 2641 posts of assistant professors. Out of total 1517 sanctioned posts in Aligarh Muslim University, 368 are vacant. Similarly, in BHU, 708 posts are vacant. In Delhi University 900 posts, in Allahabad University 515 posts, in Jawaharlal Nehru University 365 posts and in Hyderabad 117 posts are lying vacant.
However, the UGC has recently suggested to take the help of experts from different fields even they do not have any degree. This step has been taken to enhance the skills of the students. However, some experts see that this provision can be misused by some universities by showing their family members as expert faculty. But overall the suggestion should be welcomed as there are many people are practically transforming the society through different activities and their experience should be used for brightening the brain of the students.